From Friedrich to Fritz: There have been clocks on the Untermarkt for 150 years

Created: 2022-12-10, 8:00 p.m

By: Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss

In his element: Fritz Koch's shop has been selling watches and jewelry for 150 years this year.

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The goldsmith Fritz Koch celebrates its 150th anniversary.

For the anniversary, the “Lord of the Clocks” tells of the beginnings and a fateful year.

Wolfratshausen – The goldsmith Fritz Koch at Untermarkt 18 is one of the oldest shops in Wolfratshausen.

For 150 years now, everything in the family business has revolved around watches and jewelry.

The profession of goldsmith was not Koch's first choice at all.

He actually wanted to study music, sang in various choirs from an early age and learned several instruments.

In the end, however, craftsmanship prevailed.

Wolfratshausen: Goldsmith Fritz Koch celebrates its 150th anniversary

It all began in 1858. "The first Friedrich was a gingerbread baker and mead brewer," says Fritz Koch.

In 1802 he came from Aichach to Wolfratshausen and opened a shop in what is now the Cristallo ice cream parlour.

"His son, the next Friedrich, didn't want to take it on, but began an apprenticeship as a silver and goldsmith in 1858." After ten years of wandering, he returned and hired himself out to the widow of his master at Untermarkt 18 as a journeyman - in the house where the business is still operated today.

In 1872, the great-grandfather of today's Fritz Koch took over the business and bought the property.

However, the gout made him so ill that he became bedridden.

"Therefore his son - also a Fritz - took over the business in 1902." Fritz III.

had three children: daughter Franziska and sons Fritz and Alois, both of whom were doing an apprenticeship as a goldsmith in Miesbach with Master Durneder.

The eldest started at the jeweler Hemmerle, which is still highly regarded in the industry today, where he took over the workshop management in 1938.

He didn't want to give up this job again - and decided against taking over his parents' business in Loisachstadt.

After the Second World War there were also hats and shoes at the goldsmith

Now it was the turn of the second son, Alois.

"My father was the only outlier among all the Friedrichs," says Koch and laughs.

Together with his wife Maria, his father continued to run the goldsmiths with the adjoining hat and shoe shop, a line of business that was added as a further mainstay during the Second World War.

In 1968 his son, who is now the owner of the business, began his apprenticeship as a goldsmith and completely shifted his focus back to watches and jewellery.

The year 1976 was Koch's "fateful year", as he says himself.

It began with months of channel construction work in the market.

The individual shops could only be reached via boardwalks.

"During this time I was planning a cruise with a group of Wolfratshausers." He was unsure whether he could leave his parents alone in this situation.

But his mother insisted.

"Fortunately - because I met my wife Ute on the ship."

The construction work had other consequences: the advertising group for the shopping city of Wolfratshausen was founded.

Fritz Koch belonged to the founding board alongside Messrs. Holthaus, Boodevaar, Fraas and others.

In 1990, Koch took over the jewelry business from his father, who had been ill in the meantime.

Koch was also active in the Wolfratshausen fire department for a long time.

Once the beeper went off, there was no stopping it.

In his white overalls, the magnifying glass still on his glasses, he jumped on his bicycle and hurried to the tool shed.

"Once he almost ran over a customer," remembers Ute Koch.

"At first she thought he was a thief who had just attacked us."

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